Cancel

    Open app

    Search

    Kababayan

    3.8 (90 reviews)
    Open 9:00 am - 5:00 pm

    Kababayan Photos

    Business Info

    KABABAYAN ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Divey
    Good for kids

    You might also consider

    Recommended Reviews - Kababayan

    Your trust is our priority, so businesses can't pay to alter or remove their reviews. Learn more about reviews.
    Yelp app icon
    Browse more easily on the app
    Review Feed Illustration

    Reviews With Photos

    Amy F.

    Nothing fancy-can even be described as neighborhood joint. Friendly and helpful service. 3 entree combo is the value play if you're here for the first time. No matter what you try, you can't go wrong. This is a place for comfort foods. Either you're an adventurous eater or not, there's something here for you. Our favorites are the pork adobo, bbq chicken skewers, fried banana inside a fried skin, and the lumpia (3 orders). Pro-tips: -Park blocks away in the neighborhood. -Street parking available during the weekends if you go early (10-10:30am).

    Dinuguan and Sisig
    Jolens V.

    The food is ok. Service is good . The location is easy to find. The place needs more light inside.,

    The bomb.com of filipino foods
    Tom S.

    The is always great, especially me being half filipino. Me and a friend went here today 5-5-2025,for cinco de mayo. We decided instead of Mexican food, let's have filipino food and our choice was the best choice.

    a kitchen with a television and a refrigerator
    Ron G.

    tl;dr solid cheap food + variety for lunch Kababayan Cafe, located in the heart of the Mission District, is a place that could easily be overlooked due to its inconspicuous nature. It's a fundamental hole in the wall joint, run by just a solitary person - a potential setback for those in a hurry, but ensuring a meticulous execution of each dish. The restaurant, despite its humble appearance, offers generous servings of food without putting a significant dent in your pocket. My hearty plate that was basically just meat was just $12. Depending on the day of your visit, the menu varies. On my stop in, the pancit noodles had good texture but fell a bit short on flavor. The sisig was flavorful but suffered slightly from the chewiness of the pork. While the individual dining atmosphere might turn off some, those who appreciate solitude in their culinary adventures will find it to their liking. The service is mostly run by 1 person so you go up to the counter and order nand there's not much else - so good if you're going in-n-out for lunch. Kababayan Cafe lacks the Instagrammable vibe we often seek out, and it may be a bit better on price/quality point in Daly City in terms of quality, but it's certainly not a venue to write off and is very solid for a Mission Lunch spot and offers a hard-to-find variety of Filipino food in SF (compared to Inion city/Daly city).

    Johnny V.

    one of my favorite go-to small filipino shops in sf! - food is quick, served fast food style (like chipotle), and the prices are even better (huge plus) unfortunately, they were short on balut when we came by, but we still ended up being satisfied with our meal. - the worker there was super helpful with recommendations and was quite friendly! - ambiance wasn't amazing, they do have spots to sit down but it's more of a 'grab & go' type of spot. parking situation was a bit difficult as it's in a busy area as well. all-in-all though, very satisfied with what they offer here at Kababayan. i'll be back the next time i'm in SF. :)

    Ginger chicken soup w/ what tasted like kugua (chinese pronunciation, bitter squash) and spinach
    Daniel B.

    Great neighborhood lunch spot. The chicken soup was on hitters. It was a light homemade soup without noticeable amounts of MSG, just like my wife cooks. Perfect ratio of ginger and seasoning to broth and soft, lovely chicken flavor. Served with bone in and a bitter squash that really adds to the flavor of the soup. I've been looking for a clear broth soup like this for 6 years since we moved to SF. Finally! The other dishes I got were ok, too. Nothing special, but juicy and good. The pancit noodles had a great texture but lacked in flavor. I also prefer thinner noodles. The sisig was juicy and flavorful, but the pork was a bit chewy. Both dishes were ok, and I'd have them on the side with the soup again. I would recommend this place if you're in the area, or if you're like me and have been craving a light, clear broth soup but are too lazy to cook it yourself. Of course, it seems like this place kind of just makes whatever dishes they feel like on any given day (e.g., today no lumpia), so not guarantee it will be there if you make the trek across town. In any case, this is a great little spot with no fuss. One of the main reasons this place does not get 5 stars is because $13 for a 2-item box and small soup seems pretty steep. I have leftovers for tomorrow. While affordable, this place is not truly cheap. And that's really kind of what it would need to make up for the otherwise unappealing restaurant vibe, i.e., no one who ordered in front of me stayed to eat inside. Not a perfect place, but I'll definitely be back. Happy eating!

    My chicken adobo pieces were mostly bones.
    Mz J.

    The pancit is good and the longanisa ($1.75 each) as well as the sisig is very good. My chicken adobo pieces were mostly bones. Skip the dinuguan as it had too much vinegar. I haven't tried to balut yet. Not sure if I will be back.

    Mmmm
    Gil M.

    Once you accept that this place is one of those old school hole in the walls that doesn't focus on aesthetics, you can appreciate the quality of the food. I am very hard on Filipino restaurants knowing how to cook dishes to my liking. But this place has the taste that I love! I have ordered their Filipino breakfasts, lumpia, bistek, sinigang, and chicken curry. All these so far has satisfied more then to my expectations. The service is good. There are a couple Filipino restaurants near by, but for this area, Kababayan is the one! Catch up on Filipino pop culture or news from The Filipino Channel while eating your meal. TFC is on all day! So if you ever find yourself in the Mission district of San Francisco craving Filipino food, I recommend coming here. Happy Yelping and stay hungry adventurous!

    Filipino Home Cooking
    Rudy H.

    stumble upon a Filipino hole in the wall restaurant while I was walking on the Mission. I ordered ala carte of two items (Pork Menudo & Dinuguan) with a dessert (Halo-Halo). this is a place to get some Filipino food if you don't want to go to the Tenderloin or Daly City. not bad, but the menu is a bit confusing.

    Skiidoz H.

    Wasn't that friendly !! Couldn't explain what was inside of the Sausage but that it was Pork.. I really feel customers should be able to sample ideas to ensure the taste is correct when the viewing of the food doesn't look that pleasant !! Especially when the Food is sitting out .. After Purchasing & Tasting the Food : It was very dry (sausages) and tasted Old!! I asked for some juice from the sausages tray on my rice I received None .

    Pork with coconut + shrimp base and rice for $5.99 and karioka for $2... With Filipino drama in the background
    Sally L.

    Hole in the wall Filipino restaurant in the Mexican-dominant Mission district. Given my obsession with Filipino food and not wanting to go down to Daly City, I gave Kababayan a shot. The options are rather limited and didn't seem very fresh when I went at 5pm on a weekday. I wanted the kare kare but unfortunately they didn't have it that day. I opted for another pork dish that was coconut+shrimp paste based and it tasted ok - would not order again. I also got the karioka - which I LOVED at Fil-Am - but here, it tasted a day old and was too hard. There were a lot of blue collar solo diners, so everyone kind of just eats in peace. Not somewhere you bring your friends. The lady was super nice and patiently explained what every dish was and helped me pick one I would like. Prices are average for the area but overpriced for the quality. So if you have time, I'd definitely recommend venturing to Daly City for your Filipino fix.

    See all

    Photo of Lee B.
    313
    12
    0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Arlo U.
    14
    9
    15

    16 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    9 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    19 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    17 years ago

    Helpful 1
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0
    Photo of Kat D.
    92
    59
    25

    19 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 1
    Oh no 0

    11 years ago

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    16 years ago

    I got a BBQ chicken on a stick and rice. It was delicious and it cost around four dollars. The food is great and it's cheap.

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    14 years ago

    the cashier always remembers what i get and shes vry nice. i love their buto

    Helpful 0
    Thanks 0
    Love this 0
    Oh no 0

    Page 3 of 3

    Kababayan Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Kababayan

    Are they open for business anymore?

    yes they are but open mainly during the day

    Does anyone know if this place closed? Walked past it yesterday and today and it wasn't open :(

    They were closed over the weekend also, but the last time I was there was probably a week and a half ago and there was no sign that they were closing down. I’m hoping they are just on vacation🙏🏽🙏🏽.

    View All 5 Questions

    You might also consider

    Verify this business for free

    People searched for Filipino 35,399 times last month within 15 miles of this business.

    Verify this business

    Mestiza

    Mestiza

    4.3
    (97 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $$

    It was interesting my favorite part of the Filipino feast they put together was the chumichurri…read moresteak and def not Filipino, thought laing (collards and coconut stew was my favorite filipino dish by far. The lumpia, while tasty had not meat, and the dessert was surprisingly not Filipino at all Really nice Patio w/ some heat lamp strewn around Service was fast and while the waitress was new, she was great! Thanks for letting us stay 1 an hour after closing! Our birthday party was having a great time!

    IMHO, the heart of Mestiza is THE patio…read more The modern urban garden patio is quaint (away from the street) with lush greenery, pendant lighting, and a gorgeous mural of Grace Nono (Filipina singer)...perfect for private events, photo ops, reels, and TTs. All that was missing was the hella big wooden spoon and fork. J/k! And, hospitality was on-point from the lone Latina server. She was so sweet. The food? OOF. Mestiza serves Filipino Fusion Cuisine and is very vegan friendly. Beer, wine, and low abv soju-based cocktails available. I've enjoyed the food at their OG location on Bryant so I don't know if it was a very off day and/or they changed the recipes....because the food completely missed the mark. * Steak Fries w/ sinigang spice ($7) One of the two highlights of our meal, the fries were hot and crunchy. The sinigang spice just tasted like regular salt tho...no tang. * Lechon Bites w/ toyomansi glaze, atchara ($14): https://tinyurl.com/4k9j97am Bummed that this didn't look like older pics of actual "lechon" (fried pork belly cubes). It was more like pork jerky - dry and tough with a thickish, salty soy and calamansi glaze. * Bistek Silog Steak w/ garlic rice, jammy egg ($36): https://tinyurl.com/4crrrh7m - Requested medium rare The plating was beautiful and they nailed the steak's medium-rare temp. The star of the dish tho? The garlic rice - perfectly savory, fragrant, and packed with garlicky flavor. The sirloin (I think) was a let down. It seemed like it was sliced with the grain, making it hella chewy. The signature salty-sour flavor was quite mellow. As for the eggs, they were more medium-well than the jammy. * Pancit Canton w/ seasonal veggies (Side-$8) Great plating and huge portion for the price. Unfortunately, the noodles lacked both chew and flavor. As I was packing up the leftovers, I noticed a pool of soy sauce at the bottom of the container. It seemed like the hot noodles + veggies where tossed with the sauce instead of properly stir-frying everything together. * Super Green Laing w/ collards, kale, cabbage, and taro ($7) Again, I appreciate the generous portion for the price but even for Pinoy Fusion, it didn't remind me of laing. It came across more like a miso soup with greens thrown in. The broth was cloudy and started to separate as it sat, and it was missing the rich, creamy coconut flavor that I usually expect from laing. S E R V I C E Warm, welcoming, and attentive. Prompt food service. A M B I A N C E Gorgeous patio seating only. No indoor seating. Going to the game after? Make sure to snag a rezzie on Resy. P A R K I N G Limited street parking (near Oracle Park). There's a garage across the street (The Beacon). Overall, the patio is one of the prettiest outdoor dining spaces in the city, and the service was genuinely warm and welcoming. Unfortunately, the food just didn't live up to the vibes. 2.5 stars rounded up.

    Photos
    Mestiza
    Bisek silog steak
    Bisek silog steak
    Stonefruit salad

    See all

    Stonefruit salad
    Señor Sisig

    Señor Sisig

    4.1
    (105 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$
    Locally owned & operated
    15 years in business

    Came here for a bite to eat before a Chase Center event!…read more Tosilog Bowl (5/5): Thepork was fatty and sweet. The garlic rice was super flavorful and filling. The fried egg was runny put creaminess into the dish. Overall I actually really enjoyed this and will probably come here before every chase center event from now on.

    There's a buzz in Thrive City, a community built in conjunction with the Chase Center. With more…read moreactivities ramping up in the neighborhood, the foot traffic has increased especially on days when there are events. Recently, I've been a regular in the area for the WNBA Golden State Valkyries games. After an okay experience inside the arena during Warriors season, we were disappointed to learn a few weeks later that the menu pivoted and we did not enjoy it. I suggested trying here and the line was relatively short with only four people ahead of us for the line to the order stations. There are two iPad screens and a gentleman on the counter would occasionally accept order from the waiting customers in line. We used the right iPad and ordered a burrito to share. After placing our order and my friend paying for it, we walked towards the left wall (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=0fy2Fh-Q2N9LVyvUK5PAUw) and saw two water stations under the Thrive City mural. We waited along the wall as the expediting station was just before the wall. There are cups provided at the water station so my friend and I each got a cup and I grabbed some napkins. After about 8 minutes, our order was called and my friend claimed it. We walked back to the outside dining area as all seats and tables inside were occupied. A kind gentleman at a 4-seat table kindly allowed us to share the table with him. Not wanting to eat too much before the game, we shared the California Sisig burrito, pork, requesting on our order that it be cut in half; our burrito was comprised of pork, French fries, shredded cheese, sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo. Here is a photo of my half (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=8-67jjaNjmA_nRVaWdrySw). I requested a complimentary tomatillo salsa (https://www.yelp.com/user_local_photos?userid=saJuyv784apZzH--psHZ3Q&select=1gtm20H4kvvYMB_pEFNVOg) on the side which I poured onto my burrito intermittently as I ate. I enjoyed that it was tasty yet not messy or wet. That is one of my peeves, when burritos leave my hands dripping from the sauces from the burrito. My friend enjoyed hers and we agreed that we would dine here again. We arrived relatively early (5:30 pm for a 7 pm game) yet the restaurant was full. As we left a little before 6 pm, the line spanned to about 15-18 people. Since we used the iPad station, there was no interaction with staff other than picking up the burrito. I mentioned to one the expediters that one of the water station was running low. A few minutes later, he refilled it fully. This is a good option if you're craving Mexican items with a Filipino spin but I recommend coming early if you don't want to wait too long.

    Photos
    Señor Sisig
    Outside the Chase Center
    Outside the Chase Center
    Senor sisig x House of Nanking 1/20/26

    See all

    Senor sisig x House of Nanking 1/20/26
    Kusina Ni Tess

    Kusina Ni Tess

    4.2
    (350 reviews)
    2.2 mi
    $

    Spot on Filipino comfort food…read more In all the years I've lived in the City, Kusina Ni Tess was a restaurant I had yet to try until recently. I think I may have evaded it out of homage to my Mom's own cooking, but Kusina provides the perfect opportunity to satisfy a craving for comfort food away from home. It was definitely a pleasant surprise. This restaurant is no-frills; the stars of the show are the fresh and tasty entrees you can see and choose from at the counter. They allow you to choose combination plates or ala carte depending on what you're craving. I had the Dinuguan with garlic rice, while my friend had the Lumpia Shanghai and Palabok noodles. Nothing disappointed--every dish hit the spot. For a moment, I felt like I was at a Filipino party with a few tables for parties of 2 or 4. The staff members were friendly and pleasant while taking my order. Bravo to Tess! I'll definitely be back now that I know where this hidden Sampiguita of a restaurant is, right around the corner from my downtown apartment.

    This was my first time eating at Kusina Ni Tess. There aren't a lot of Filipino restaurants in San…read moreFrancisco, so it was a treat to try one of their silog breakfasts. There were plenty of menus posted throughout the restaurant, but I noticed that none of them listed prices. You order at the counter and wait for your receipt number to be called, then pick up your food on a tray and bring it to your table. Water is self-service. I ordered the Pork Adobosilog ($15.50) -- savory pork adobo served with garlic fried rice and a fried egg. The adobosilog was good, and the portion size was just right, although the price felt a little high for a hole-in-the-wall restaurant. The garlic fried rice was disappointing because I couldn't really taste any garlic and it tasted more like plain fried rice. The pork adobo was tender and easy to eat. If I'm in the neighborhood and craving Filipino food, I may revisit the restaurant and try another silog from the menu.

    Photos
    Menu
    Menu
    Pancit Palabok
    Pancit Palabok
    Store front

    See all

    Store front
    Chibog

    Chibog

    4.1
    (1.3k reviews)
    7.4 mi
    $$

    Tried and tested. Never fails to impress the first timers we bring here…read more This was another fun dining experience for us with our friends. We got a table of eight one hour before closing time. Our server told us last order was at 6:45 since the cook had to leave early for another gig. They used to close later at night years ago. We had our usual chick-boy combo sisig, grilled liempo, tapa and garlic rice. Our friends embellished our spread with ginataang sitaw at calabasa (beans & squash in coconut milk), bam-i pancit, chicharon bulaklak (ruffle fat) and lechon kawali. Vinegar based sawsawan and Mang Tomas made this feast even better. We all had water because we were binge eating that weekend. Another large party satisfied at Chibogs. Can't wait for our next get-together here.

    First time here for a party of two during a Sunday afternoon. We got there at 12:30ish so best to…read morewait because once we got our food there was a little wait. I got their Lechon Kawaii, pork adobo and garlic rice. All silog's comes with garlic rice or white rice and an over easy egg. You can add tomato for $2 extra (two sides combo upgrade is $3 more) I loved their Lechon sooooo tender and crispy paired well with the side of white vinegar or the brown sauce! We shared their sizzling sisig which was great per my cousin but I think it was a little dried without the egg? We got the combo of pork and chicken. Shared a Poncit Bihon, I always said more lemon the better but it was ok? I will try other other noodles dishes next time.

    Photos
    Indoors
    Indoors
    The reason for stopping by. combo sisig "chick-boy" (chicken and pork/baboy)
    The reason for stopping by. combo sisig "chick-boy" (chicken and pork/baboy)
    Lechon Combo

    See all

    Lechon Combo
    Superstar Restaurant

    Superstar Restaurant

    4.3
    (654 reviews)
    2.6 mi
    $

    I have been coming to Superstar ever since I was a little kid and it is always a treat!…read more My go-to order is the Hong Kong Style PorkChop ($8). It comes with 2 large pieces of pork chop, garlic fried rice topped with crispy garlic, one egg (cooked to your preference) and either diced tomatoes or pineapples. I am always left super full from this meal and sometimes I can even split it into 2! It also stays crispy and reheats well in the airfryer. They serve other Filipino foods as well such as tocino, longanisa, baby bangus, etc. Each plate comes with the garlic fried rice, egg and either tomatoes or pineapples. What I absolutely love about this place is the quick service and cheap eats. Their plates used to be cheaper but of course due to inflation, the price is still unmatched in the city. This place is cash only and does not have indoor seating. There is also a similar restaurant located in Daly City by top of the hill called Gateway Kitchen that has almost the same exact menu + prices for their plates. Parking can be difficult in this area but the service is so quick that you can just double park in front. I will continue to visit this place over and over again. I absolutely love coming here :')

    Superstar has been on my list of places to try for the longest time, but I'm rarely in this part of…read moreSan Francisco. After a long day, my partner and I finally decided to stop by for dinner. The prices are incredibly affordable, but keep in mind that it's cash only. We ordered the Hong Kong-style pork chop over garlic fried rice, which came with tomatoes and eggs, and shared it between the two of us. When our food arrived, we were genuinely surprised by the portion size--there were two huge, crispy pork chops, especially impressive considering the meal was only around $8. My partner absolutely loved it and thought it was an amazing value. If you're a fan of crispy, fried comfort food, this is definitely a satisfying meal. For me, though, it was a bit too greasy, and the seasoning tasted heavier than I personally prefer. While the pork chop was flavorful and crispy, the richness started to feel overwhelming after a few bites. Finishing the entire container would definitely put me into a serious food coma. Overall, if you're looking for a filling meal at an unbeatable price, Superstar is hard to beat. Although it wasn't quite my personal favorite because of how rich it was, I can absolutely see why it's a popular spot for cheap, satisfying eats.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    18. sarangani, 1. Longsilog (+ side order of pork chop hong kong style) (03/2026)
    18. sarangani, 1. Longsilog (+ side order of pork chop hong kong style) (03/2026)
    Interior

    See all

    Interior

    Kababayan - filipino - Updated August 2026

    Loading...
    Loading...
    Loading...